The MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X image puts us on the trail of a new generation of motherboards arriving this fall that will host Intel’s new Core Ultra 200 desktop processors.

MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X will be the motherboard high-end in ATX format designed for users who want to squeeze every GHz and every FPS out of their PC. So we can understand it from the box with the main specifications, starting with a 110 amp VRM design (20+1+1+1) on an eight-layer PCB, or what the manufacturer calls “OC Adjustment Driver”, which indicates that the board is mainly aimed at overclocking.

As the name suggests, everything is based on the new Z890 chipset that Intel has prepared for its new Core Ultra 200 processors, or in other words Arrow Lake-S for desktops. It has a few slots PCIe 5.0 x16 to mount dedicated graphics cards that are likely to operate in dual x8 mode when both slots are in use. It has a third PCIe 4.0 x16 slot that works in x4 mode, as well as one PCIe 4.0 x1 slot.

Another high-profile component is its DDR5 memory system with a new dynamic frequency adjustment capability (CUDIMM) and with speeds of up to 10,000 MT/s. It has, no less, six M.2 slotstwo of them for the most advanced PCIe 5.0 interface. It also has six SATA ports.

The connectivity section is equally impressive with the network card Intel Killer Ethernet 5Gbps (a first on the market) and compatible with the latest wireless compatibility standards, Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The board also has a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, a front-facing USB-C header USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20Gbps) with 60W USB PD support and 10 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) ports, two of which are USB Type-C.

The board also includes a Realtek ALC4080 audio codec and a pair of old-school PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse. Other components include a full set of buttons on the back for flashing and UEFI reset, as well as a debug LED display, which MSI seems to prefer to place right next to the power connector, as we’ve seen in previous series. An ATX 3.1 power connector is also present, which is only used by MSI.

We don’t know the price of this MSI MEG Z890 Unify-X, but looking at its specifications, it won’t be a budget series. It should be available this quarterin time for the introduction of the Core Ultra 200 processors.